You Review: Transformers

By Nathan Spicer (Flagler College English Major)

I viewed the initial announcement for a Transformers movie with extreme skepticism. The television show was a staple of Saturday mornings during my childhood, and the opening theme song still evokes strong nostalgia. So I believed a contemporary film directed by the polarizing Michael Bay could be a blasphemous reimagining of a touchstone of 80s cartoons.

My skepticism was heightened when controversial (to fans, anyway) information was leaked before release. According to various sources, aspects of the show were being transformed to suit current pop culture. One example is the how the character “Soundwave,” who transformed into a tape deck in the cartoon, instead becomes an iPod.

Luckily, my worries were totally ill-founded. The story is simple – heroic alien robots (Autobots) battle evil alien robots (Decepticons) for a powerful device known as the Allspark, which is currently held by a teenager played by Shia LaBeouf.

But the story does not need complexity. It only supports the nonstop action and the incredible special effects, the quality of which is among the best around, and that works wonderfully with Bay’s techniques. Barely a moment passes where one’s mouth is not gaping in awe or gobbling more popcorn.

The HD DVD format will leave you more awestruck with its improved audio and visual quality, but the regular DVD format is just fine.

I loved this film, and for a great experience, I suggest you obtain a copy, turn off your brain, open your eyes, and enjoy the spectacular ride.